Meridian House For Sale

I’ve been watching the house on the corner of 41st and Meridian for a long time. It was odd because the lawn was always well-cared for (or at least well mown), but you could see from the decaying shades that nobody had lived there for a long, long time.

And then there were the 1950’s-era cars parked under the raised deck, slowly being devoured by vines. I snapped a picture a while back and deemed it art, but can’t seem to dig it up now.

This past fall, I chatted with a workman next door, who related how the owners were an elderly couple who lived elsewhere, and apparently didn’t realize that squatters had moved in. It wasn’t until concerned neighbors contacted the couple’s grown children and tipped them off that the squatters were selling the antique furniture that had been left in the house that someone interceded and cut off the power to the house and evicted the squatters.

18 Comments

This is an interesting little blog that is full of good information. Usually. In this case, however, you have just spread gossip. Please, please, from now on, just stick to accurate information that you have confirmed as true. To do otherwise is harmful to all concerned.

I know it feels very different than traditional, official media, but my vision for this blog is more of “neighbors leaning over the fence talking” then “the spokesman was unavailable for comment”-type news. I think these stories help people get a more textured understanding of the people and events around them. And I hope that it will encourage people to fill in the gaps with their knowledge.

It went on the market July 15th and as of July 24th is already pending. I’m eager to see what it went for, I’m going to guess $589K. If it went for over asking I’ll be feeling ever so assured about our little home in the hood.

This reminds me of the giant collection of dilapidated houses on N42nd between Sunnyside and Eastern. I’m not going to get into another argument with the “defense force” for that situation, but they’re an eyesore and a health hazard.

Yes I’m a NIMBY POS and worse than ten hitlers, but I would really prefer if the owner actually took care of them, or sold them.

Last time we had this discussion either friends or tenants of the owner claimed he was nice and had a plan. Whcih is great! But his plan isn’t working. Andhe hasn’t made any improvements or progress. Why not just sell them? They’re actually damaging the property values of the houses adjacent. Not to mention the rats.

He probably IS an awesome guy, but it’s not fair to his neighbors and there’s really no justification for keeping vacant, dilapidated buildings in a neighborhood starved of housing, period.

I’d be happy to help any way I can, but could we have a civilized conversation and at least admit they;’re a problem?

I am scaling the problem to the neighborhood and no, of course it’s not hunger in the 3rd world or poverty in America.

I live nearby, and have a few things to add:
The owner actually lives next door to the dilapidated house. I’m not sure how you could watch a once lovely house detoriate in that way. She’s elderly, so I’m not sure if that had an impact.

Word is that they received multiple cash offers, as the house is obviously uninhabitable and therefore not available for conventional loans.

Hopefully the new owners will build something that keeps the charm of the area.

I appreciate that this blog isn’t strictly a news outlet, but I agree with AJ that this post felt a little different. Even though it wasn’t mean-spirited, which I appreciate, this feels less like neighbors talking over the fence and more like it’s encouraging commenters to anonymously criticize their neighbors.

Sad to see yet another old time lot go in the hood. Really wish it seemed different.
Sheepishly, this kinda seems like a redfish;-) comment thread, but anyone know if those 9 days were devoted to clearing DPD?

Only in Seattle would such an article become controversial amongst some readers. It just becomes nauseating and that was decades ago. Now I just facepalm. Watch everything you say or the [email protected] thought police will bring you up on charges. Seattle is becoming so tiresome and largely from folks who aren’t even from here.

Two people said politely that they thought the article was gossipy. I hardly think that qualifies as “[email protected] though police bringing you up on charges”. If that level of “controversy” leaves you nauseated, I’m afraid that you may have some stomach disquiet wherever you go.

Ah, that explains it, thanks (although surprise at Seattle real estate prices == Nazi thought police bringing you up on charges still leaves me puzzled…but that perhaps that level of discourse is more endemic on Reddit).

It will be interesting to see if it just gets sold for the lot. A one bedroom house just sold down the street from me on Latona for $520. It was misrepresentively sold as a 2 bedroom, but you have to walk through the sunroom (which it really is) to go outside…. and the newbies are cleaning it up to live in it. Wallingford draws them in!

Wow, it just closed for $675k to the people that own a house across the street. I didn’t anticipate that high of a price.

Wallyhood needs you!

This community blog is all volunteer run, and we welcome articles from everyone in the Wallingford community. Something on your mind? Have a story to share? Please contact us at [email protected] today!

Editors rotate weekly. This week’s editor is Ben Robinson.

Subscribe

Get a daily summary of articles and forum conversations delivered to your email inbox.